Living in the Shadows
by ShadowNight17
Summary: Bella's life in Forks comes to a brute awakening when she is found almost dead by Edward, who must save her the only way he can. She awakes to a new life, finding love in Edward. But when things become uneasy in Forks, secrets can kill.
1. Prologue

Epilogue

There are times when I look back on those days and think about all of the decisions I made, wrong and right. If I had made them differently, would I be here right now? Would I be living the life I am? What would have become of everything? Life is too complicated, and now I see why cog in the clock needs to fit together, because if they didn't, nothing would be right. Unfortunately for me, my clock was already two hours late. Which cog didn't work? I would have to find out.


	2. Taken

**Starting off when Bella is in Port Angeles. **

Living in the Shadows

Chapter 1 – Taken

It was getting dark, and I was headed in the wrong direction. I rounded the corner to see a pack of young men, around my age, leaning casually against the wall. One had a paper bag with a bottle hidden inside in his hand, and many of them were holding beer cans. As soon as they saw me, they livened up and got up off of the wall. I tried to pretend that I didn't see them, and walked past them.

"Hey!" One of them yelled after me.

"Hello." I said quietly, walking a little bit faster than was safe for me. I didn't turn back to see if they were following me when I turned a corner. It was brightly lit, thank goodness. I walked a bit slower and took my time, knowing that someone would see or hear something. There were a couple cars parked on either side of the street, and some of the houses at least looked inhabited. I took my time, trying to see if there were any directional signs or a store that I could go into to ask. If worst come to worst, I thought, I could knock on some one's door and ask them, they lived here, and if they were nice, maybe they could let me use their phone to call Jessica or Charlie. I was thinking about all of these things when I rounded another corner. This street had four street lights, barely lighting up the street. It had an eerie feeling to it. One light flickered in the distance, and cast eerie shadows onto the street. There was a concrete wall on one side and a wrought-iron fence on the other, sharp metal spear-like tops protruding from the top.

I didn't realize I had stopped walking until I heard footsteps behind me. I jumped at the sound and started to walk again. I sped up my pace, and glanced back. There were two guys behind me.

"Hey! Where are you going?" One called out. His words were slurred a small bit. He'd been drinking, as I supposed all of them had. I kept walking, well, practically jogging.

They continued to shout to me. I reached the end of the street, to a four-way intersection with a blinking yellow light. I kept jogging and looked back to see their advance. I didn't get very far until I knocked into something. I fell to the ground and looked up to see two guys above me. They had cornered me. I kicked them in the thigh, aiming for his groin, and tried to get up and run away, but I was hit in the back by a blunt object. I yelped in pain. My back tingled, the feeling when you press on a freshly blossomed bruise. Someone kicked me in the stomach. I hurled out my breath and curled up into a ball, my muscles tightening up. I wrapped my arms around my legs. Things pounded at my body from left and right, one hitting me in the face, smashing my nose. My head started to spin as it bled; I inhaled the blood, only to cough it back up. My ears started to ring. I was still on my side, taking blows to my back and my stomach. Then it stopped.

"Dude, don't kill her. It won't be any fun if she's dead. I always like the ones who try to fight back." One said. I tried to open my eyes, but they were filled with a mixture of blood and tears.

What were they planning to do to me? Why did I have to be alive? I began to question myself, not being able to speak the questions out loud.

I was still curled up in a ball, even tighter than before. I coughed a couple of times. I heard the rustle of clothing, but was too tired to pay attention. I was losing blood, and fast. They grabbed my arms and legs, prying them away from my body. I tried to fight it, kicking and thrashing. They lost control of my arms; I twisted towards the pavement and clawed at the ground, trying to find a weapon. I was pulled back by my hair, I yelped in pain.

"Okay. Who wants her first?" The man with a handful of my hair asked. I clawed at his hands, but his grip was inescapable. I knew that he was the biggest one of the group from the size of his hands. There were mumbles and then one called out.

"I'll take her. You guys can hold 'er down." He said with a laugh. I could just see a smile on someone's face when they talked like that. Something unzipped and there was more rustling of clothing and then, I was dropped. My head hit the ground with a crack, some of them laughed at my whimpers of pain. I felt my shirt being tugged at, then fabric ripping, exposing my torso and bra. My pants were cut with shears; I could feel the metal running up my leg. I thrashed in opposition, but I only got the tip of the shears in my leg. They continued to cut off my underwear and my bra. I was totally exposed.

"Please, no." I whimpered, trying to turn over. I felt helpless, well, I guess I was. My thoughts were muddled. "Please…Please…I'm still…a…virgin…" I whimpered, as if that would change things. These men have shown that they didn't care about that already; they obviously weren't Christian in any way.

"Even better." The man closest to me said. A hand ran up my thigh and made its way to my crotch, where he swirled his finger around. There was an urge, deep in the pit of my stomach. How was I possibly finding satisfaction in this! I yelled at myself. My back arched and I moaned, to my embarrassment.

"Yea, you like that, huh." He teased as he rubbed harder. He moved his hand to my breast and cupped it hard. He leaned down and sucked on it. His mouth tightened around my hardening nipple, he bit it and swirled his tongue around on it. I moaned again, and my breath began to come in pants. His hands began to spread my legs. I tightened them up, but between him and the men holding my legs, I didn't stand a chance. He forced himself inside me. I sucked in a pained breath; it felt like I had been cut with a knife down there as he stretched me out. He grunted as he pulled his cock in and out, I found no pleasure in this anymore. The men no longer had to hold my legs and arms; I was too tired to fight back. They now had themselves exposed to me. They licked my breasts themselves and while the man was thrusting himself into me, someone rubbed me. It made overwhelming sensations quiver through my body, but I tried not to pay attention to them, as great as they may feel.

Hours passed and so was I. I was passed from man to man, used up by the end. The pulled their clothes back on and kicked me around some more. Blows to my stomach made me cough up blood. I could hear their mumbles as they watched me slowly die. I could feel my consciousness fading as the sound of tires screeching came closer. A door slammed shut and there was a guttural growl that filled the air. I could hear the men stumble and run away. There were footsteps walking up to me.

"Bella?" A velvet voice spoke my name. Cold hands cautiously and gently grabbed me around the waist. I coughed up more blood at the movement. "Bella, what happened?"

I groaned as loud as I could. I tried to find my voice; I groaned and groaned until finally his name came out of my lips. "Edward?" I said, scratchy to a point where I barely understood it was my voice that said it, even though I felt it on my raw throat.

"Its okay, Bella. I'll…I'm going to fix this." He picked me up, the pain was excruciating in every part of my body. I whimpered. He sucked in his own breath of pain, but not because he was in pain, but because he was hurting for me. I couldn't imagine his perfect face…but why was he here? Why didn't he come sooner?

He set me back down on the ground, but there was something between me and the asphalt, His jacket? It smelled so sweet, like him. I groaned again, but not because I was in pain, but because I knew that he was going to make me better.

**Chapter Playlist - (Like Stephenie Meyer, I listen to music to help me write and capture the mood of the story. Every chapter will have a couple songs that helped to inspire me, and some are just good to keep me from falling asleep, since I find most of my ideas at night. =D )**

**Helpless - Buckcherry  
Taking Over Me - Evanescence  
The Lightning Strike - Snow Patrol  
Light Through The Veins - Jon Hopkins  
****  
Thank you all for reading!! I'm not going to have a schedule that is set in stone, but I will PROMISE to have another chapter out by Friday, If I finish a couple, then I'll post them all, because I don't like waiting either. =D Plus, If I don't post them, I'll keep writing and post the most recent one and then forget to post the rest and you all will be really confused. =D Have a great day, night, evening, week...**


	3. Transformation

**This is in Edward's perspective, mostly because Bella is unconscious for most of it. =D Enjoy. **

Chapter 2 – Transformation

I looked at her broken body as she lay on the ground. I couldn't bring myself to look anywhere but her face; I didn't want to see anything she wouldn't want me to. I pried my phone out of my pocket, Alice had called three times and left voicemails, I would have to call her back later. I exited out of that and called Carlisle. He would know what to do.

"Hello?" He answered on the first ring.

"Carlisle, I…I need you to come to Port Angeles, as fast as you can." I said, urgent.

"What's the problem Edward?" He asked.

I paused to think of words that could describe the scene in front of me. "You need to see it for yourself."

"See what Edward? I'm sorry but you are being painfully vague. Is something wrong?"

"Yes. It's…" I took a deep breath. "It's Bella."

"Is she okay?" He asked, I could hear his car door open and shut, the engine revved to life.

"No." I said bluntly.

"Where are you?"

"At the intersection of South Tumwater Street and Marine Drive."

"I'll be there shortly."

"Thank you." I shut the phone and turned back around.

I looked at Bella's face. Her eyes were rolling around, trying to see but not being able to. Blood trickled down from her mouth, glimmering whenever the light flickered on. Her nose was broken, almost going sideways, the skin ripped from the muscle, revealing the cartilage underneath. She took breaths cautiously, holding them in for as long as she could. Of course, she wouldn't know that what she needed right now was air to support her heart and other organs, and holding in the breath was just causing more damage, but she didn't have two medical degrees either. When she exhaled, her face construed with pain. There were obviously broken ribs, if it caused her that much pain to exhale a small amount of air. Her left arm was draped over her stomach, clenching at it. Her right arm was next to her side, reaching out towards the sidewalk, unresponsive.

I walked over to it and picked it up, it wobbled in my hand. I softly touched up it, starting from the hand. Her radius was like crumbs, some parts sticking up, almost breaking the skin, if I touched them any harder, the shards would surely cut through. I left them be though, not wanting to cause her any unnecessary pain. Her ulna looked to be in the same shape, if there was even a radius and ulna left to speak of. Her humorous was protruding from the skin, but not little shards like her radius and ulna, the entire bone, razor sharp at the point and blood streaked, stuck out a good two inched from her arm. I set her arm back down carefully, avoiding places where her radius and ulna were shattered. Her lips were swollen already, and her breasts were covered with bite marks of all different sorts. There were also hickeys covering most of her chest, they ran up her neck to her face. One earlobe had almost been bitten off, which disgusted me. I had the urge to find those men and bite their ears off, watching them cry in pain as the venom seared through their bodies. I would drink their blood slowly, enjoying every minute of it.

A groan distracted my train of thought. Bella coughed once more, scattering blood on the pavement, my jacket, and myself. I kept my mouth closed and stopped breathing. I unbuttoned my shirt and wiped myself clean. I set it on top of her, to keep her body covered. Lights flashed around the corner, I looked up to see Carlisle's Mercedes stopping in front of us. He got out of his car, leaving it on and gasped as he saw Bella's body. He looked at me.

_You didn't . . . did you?_ He thought.

"No. She was beaten . . . and raped. I didn't want to leave her, they are still somewhere around here." I looked around, there was no sign of life around, except for Bella's, but she was fading.

Carlisle put his bag down. _What should we do?_ He asked in his mind, he was half talking to himself and me.

"Her radius and ulna are shattered completely, and her humorous . . ." I pointed to her arm. He gently inspected it. "I couldn't bear to inspect anything else, she's so . . . helpless." I ran my finger across her cheek.

Carlisle continued to inspect her body, every part of it. _Edward. _He shook his head. _She's bleeding internally, badly.  
_

I walked over to see what he meant. On her stomach was a patch, it looked like a bruise, but it was a reddish-purple. Carlisle pressed down, and the spot got bigger. He bent his head down to it and inhaled deeply. I did the same, it smelled like blood, but the worse thing was is that you could hear it slowly leaking from her organs when you pressed on it. Only vampire senses could have heard a noise that discreet. _There's only one way._ Carlisle thought.

A picture of Bella came into his mind. She had snowy white skin and blood red eyes. Everything was perfect again, her nose perfectly straight and her lips perfectly plump like they used to be.

"No." I growled at him. "Save her." I stood up and walked over to the car, leaning my head on the frame. "I don't want her to live like that. I want her to be _human_."

_That isn't a choice son. It's either let her die, or save her the only way we can.  
_

I shook my head. All I could think about was how happy she could be with Mike, how she could go to the beach and soak up the sun without scaring people away.

_Choose _now_ son. You have to make a choice. Either let her die or let her live.  
_

"She would be dying in both cases." I replied, sourly. I couldn't say let her die though, and have that guilt on my mind for the rest of eternity. "Do whatever you can!" I screamed. All of my anger washed away, I couldn't let her die! Living life as a vampire would be better than never living again. She'd be free to make her own choices as a woman.

_Will you take her back to the house? Take my car, it's faster. _He thought. Of course, I wouldn't let him bite her here, her screams would carry. If she had any life in her left to scream, I guess.

I picked her up gently and walked over to the black Mercedes. I laid her down on the back seat and threw myself in the driver's seat, throwing it into gear. I drove home as fast as I could, headlights off and going four times the speed limit. I reached the house, not bothering to park the car in the garage, just leaving it parked in front of the porch. Alice was sitting on the steps, her face filled with pain.

"I tried to call and warn you." She said, looking at Bella. "What are you going to do?" She asked. She stroked Bella's face, pushing the hair out of her face to get a better look. She just stared and shook her head.

"The only thing we can." I whispered. Alice pictured Bella snow white, as Carlisle had. She gasped, knowing that it was in violation of the treaty, but nothing mattered right now. She flitted next to me as I walked up the stairs and into my room. She stayed outside in the hall though, only watching. Its lack of tidiness was obvious, and I immediately felt self-conscious, even though Bella wasn't conscious enough to even know where she was. I set her down on the couch, pulling the small blanket over her, taking my bloody shirt off of her and throwing it down on the floor.

"Bella, we're going to make you better." I whispered into her ear. "It . . ." I cringed, remembering my transformation. The venom burning through my body, slowly killing all of my human cells, it's the most vibrant memory I have of my human life almost a century ago. "It's going to hurt, worse than this. It's going to make you better though. I swear, if I could fix this some other way, I would."

Her bottom lip twitched that plump bottom lip of which I'd wanted to kiss the thousand times that I saw her. Her heartbeat was weak, beating in an irregular pattern. We had to do this quick, or there would be no way for her to pump the venom through her body. Carlisle walked into the room, coming to stand next to me, putting a hand on my shoulder.

Bella's head turned to the side, her eyes were open and looking at me. At first, there was shock, and then there was understanding. Her lips twitched up in a smile, the tiniest bit, but it was there. I looked up at Carlisle, who was looking at me. He nodded.

_Will you? Or do I have to do it?_ He asked.

"I don't think I have . . . the strength. I won't be able to stop." Bella's heart missed a beat.

_You will. I believe in you. And I'm sure that Bella does too. _He thought, confident in me. Confidence I didn't deserve.

"I'll kill her."

_Ba-dump. Ba-dump. Silence. Silence. Ba-dump.  
_

"She's dying Edward!" Alice said as she walked in, tired of watching us try and make a decision.

"I know!" I growled.

"Then do it already, you aren't going to kill her Edward." She pictured Bella and I, holding hands together as we sat on this very couch. She leaned into me, and smiled.

_Baaaaa-duuuuump. Baaaaaaaaaaa-duuuuuuuuump. _Bella's heart was faltering. I didn't have much time.

I leaned in and took a deep breath. Her scent burned my throat, making an overflow of venom in my mouth. I graced her throat with me lips. I spread them, her warm skin underneath of my razor sharp teeth. I took another breath to steady me, and then bit. My teeth sliced through her skin like butter. She gasped and started to convulse and writhe with pain. Her savory blood flowed into my mouth, immediately soothing my throat, like ice to a burn. I had never tasted anything so sweet in my life; it was like sugarcane when I was a boy, if my fuzzy memory was correct. I just wanted more, and I didn't have to ask. The artery pumped the blood into my mouth, so I didn't have to put any effort into it.

"Edward. That's enough." Carlisle said, tightening his grip on my shoulder. What did he mean, 'That's enough.'? Of course it wasn't enough, I needed more . . . I wasn't even started. "Son, stop." He said, with a concerned but stern voice. I couldn't, it was impossible, improbable.

"Edward. She's lost too much blood already. Please stop!" Alice chimed. "I'm going to be really mad if you kill her, Edward. I know you can stop."

I wasn't going to stop; I couldn't until she had no more to give. I looked at Bella's whitening face, her eyes were foggy. She was so beautiful, even in death. I had to stop, I _had_ to. There was no maybe in the decision. I forced my teeth out of her neck, and fell onto the floor, holding my mouth with my hand. I took deep breaths and steadied myself. I looked at Carlisle; he had a face of admiration.

"You did well, my son. She is changing as we speak." I looked at Bella. Her neck had scarred over, she was twitching frantically. Every twitch made her face construe from the pain of her broken bones. Her right arm, which was resting on her stomach wobbled to the ground, it hit the side of the couch, and she screamed in pain. Little bursts of blood splattered on the couch where the shards had poked through her arm.

We needed somewhere bigger than my couch, somewhere where her body could move without hurting itself. I needed a bed, a mattress . . . anything.

"We need something to lay her on, something like a mattress. Do we have anything?" I asked the people standing in the room. Carlisle and Alice were still present, but Esme and Rosalie had walked in, Rosalie standing in the doorway had a shocked expression.

"Cushions from the couches. We could lay them on the floor, making a makeshift mattress of sorts." Alice said. She had walked closer to Bella; her eyes were half here and half in the future. She was looking for a problem in the plan I had in my head. Keeping Bella quiet during this was going to be the hardest part.

Alice flitted from by my side out into the hallway, taking Esme and Rosalie with her. Carlisle stayed by my side, watching me carefully.

Alice and Esme brought up armfuls of the cushions from around the house. They laid them on the floor and then laid table cloths over them, making a way around our lack of sheets. I carefully picked Bella up and laid her on the cushions. She was still thrashing about, her breath coming in uneven gasps. Her heart was beating frantically, trying to push the venom throughout her body.

Rosalie stepped in the room, her hands full of bottles and a roll of paper towels. Esme took a spray bottle and the paper towels and took to wiping the blood off of my couch. She sprayed bleach on it **to** take the bloody stains off. Alice was picking up my bloody clothes off the floor, and she slipped off Bella's shoes, for what reason I don't know why. Her skin was unscathed on her feet, the only perfect spot left on her body. I looked at her feet; just thinking about how that was what the rest of her would look like when this is done. Perfect.

"Edward. Why don't you go clean up, she'll be here, we'll make sure that nothing happens to her." Esme said, eyeing my bare, blood streaked chest. I couldn't leave Bella now.

I shook my head, declining.

"Edward, you look atrocious. You need to clean yourself up, plus it will make this a lot easier on all of us, not having to look at your bloody body this entire time." Alice yelled at me, always the annoying little sister. I turned to look at her, she was right. All of their eyes, except for Carlisle's, were black as the night with thirst. Even mine, as I saw in the reflection in the window.

I got up slowly and walked out of the room, glancing back occasionally at Bella. I walked into the hallway bathroom and turned on the shower, which we normally never used. I looked at myself fully in the mirror, looking like I had killed Bella myself. Blood was streaked across my body, and my face. My throat started to burn just looking at myself. I turned away and stepped into the steaming hot shower.

**I'd like to thank all of you who have already read my story! You guys are the best!  
I'd also like to thank my good friend Christy for waking me up at 1 in the morning, I had fallen asleep in my bed while I was writing and had not saved the chapter....oops. My computer was almost dead and I would have lost everything......EVERYTHING! Thanks a bunch, even though I couldn't go back to sleep...I owe you one!**

**Playlist -  
Take On Me - A-Ha  
Ain't No Rest for the Wicked - Cage the Elephant  
Honestly - Cartel  
Show Me What I'm Looking For - Carolina Liar  
My Way Down - Chris Duarte Group  
Technologic - Daft Punk**

**Thanks a bunch! Next chapter coming out soon!**


	4. I'm a What!

**I'm sorry for not going into her transformation, but I didn't want to basically re-write the chapter in Breaking Dawn. It's basically the same thing, except she isn't as controlled. She thrashes and screams and hits at anything she can. I found myself writing the same thing over and over again, I thrashed, I broke, I screamed, I thrashed….you get the idea, so I just went straight to when it's over. =D Hope you enjoy.**

**I am SOOOO sorry that it took really long to get this done; I had to work double shifts this week at work because someone took off . . . ugh. I'm really tired, and I planned to have a lot more than this, but I PROMISE that I will post a lot more in upcoming chapters. =D Thanks for all of your support.**

Chapter 3 – I'm a what?!

The fire was fading from my feet and hands, having consumed everything it could. I was fading, dying. I knew that I only had a little while longer. I could wiggle my toes and fingers without the pain of the fire. It faded into my core, my heart getting hotter and hotter. Like it was the only thing left to burn.

I could hear people in the room, watching as I burned. I could hear their breathing, but nothing else. My heart got hotter still, and its beating went frantic. I was losing the battle between life and death. The fire was erased from my body, only remaining in my heart. I said my last goodbyes, as I knew that this was it, the end. My back arched and I screamed as the fire and my heart battled. Then there was silence.

I knew I was dead. I opened my eyes, expecting to see something other than what I did see. The Cullen's, all standing around me watching me intently. There was still a slight burning in the back of my throat. Jasper and Emmett were standing in the front. Edward walked up to me and laid a hand on my cheek. "Bella, do you know who I am?" He asked. Of course I knew who he was, how could I forget his beautiful face? I nodded, not wanting to speak. He looked back at Dr. Cullen, who nodded.

"Bella, I know your confused about where, and _what_ you are. We're going to give you some answers." He said as I bit my lip. I looked around the room at all of the Cullen's. Could they have possibly gotten even more perfect and beautiful? Edward looked back as well. "I think that you all should step out into the hallway. This is going to be difficult enough without you all gawking at her." He looked back at me. A crease in between his eyes wrinkled his otherwise flawless face. I reached up and pressed my finger to it, trying to smooth it out.

His skin was smooth like silk, but hard as stone. It was also exactly the same shade as mine. My finger matched perfectly to his skin tone, a perfect ivory. I stared at my finger and then my hand, my eyes traced my arm, and then I looked down my body to my feet. I was wearing a purple satin sundress. It made my skin look even whiter. I was wearing purple stilettos with rhinestones embedded into the straps. Who put those on me? I had no clue when any of this was put onto me. I looked back in the past but all I could remember was the fire. I flinched.

The only people left in the room were Edward, Dr. Cullen, and I. I heard footsteps on the other side of the door. Dr. Cullen walked up to me and looked me in the eyes. "We are going to need you to stay calm, and not to overreact to what we're about to tell you." I nodded. I could stay calm, couldn't I? Was I a monster that couldn't be controlled? Yes, yes I was. The burn in my throat was still lingering. In fact, it was getting worse.

"Bella, you were almost dead, and we saved you. But there wasn't a way to keep you . . . human." He looked at the door. Feet shuffled on the other side of it. I wasn't human? I pulled my eyebrows together in confusion. "We had to turn you into a vampire." He tensed, like he was ready to attack me. A vampire? They were just things of myths, like ghosts, and witched, and werewolves . . . A flashback came into my mind. It was fuzzy, like I was watching from behind opaque glass. It was from that night at La-Push. Jake was telling me about the legends of the Quileute tribe, and there was one story in particular . . . He had mentioned the Cullen's when he was talking about their enemies, "The Cold Ones," He had said, Vampires to everyone else.

My breathing started to speed up, my body not needing it, just second nature. My open mind started to flick through fuzzy memories, playing them like a slideshow. I moved away from them, scooting into the corner. I wanted to cry, but my eyes didn't respond, I couldn't cry anymore?

"I'm sorry." Dr. Cullen said, standing up. He laid a hand on Edward's shoulder; he stood up and walked out of the room, shutting the door behind him. Dr. Cullen slowly turned. I wanted to ask him questions, but I couldn't find my voice. He walked out of the room, not bothering to shut the door. The rest of the Cullen's looked in before they walked downstairs. I could hear the television and conversation. I tried not to eavesdrop, but there was nothing else to do, and it was most likely about me.

"What should we do?"

"I don't know, and I can't read her thoughts still." Someone could read minds, and they couldn't read mine.

"Still? I wonder why, because I can see her better than I ever could. Seeing as her mind is the same as mine."

"Maybe we should keep talking to her, answer her questions, and ask her questions. Interact with her."

"No. She obviously doesn't want to talk to anyone now. Leave her alone to sort out her own priorities. Don't bombard her with information right away. Maybe she'll stay quiet and not let out the big secret."

"Why do you care, Rose? Weren't you the one who was begging us to ignore her?"

"I care because I would have wanted someone there for me, someone to vote for me, someone to make decisions for me. After all, I did have the same thing happen to me, if you recall."

I got up from my corner quietly and walked into the hallway, not breathing. I looked in all of the rooms, looking for an escape plan. I had to get out of here, I had to see Charlie. I walked to the staircase to see them all sitting around on white couches and chairs, watching the news on plasma hanging from the wall. I walked down the steps, one by one, trying to be as quiet as I could. I got almost halfway down when the stair squeaked. They all turned their heads to look at me, I just smiled.

"I'm sorry to interrupt but . . . I think I'm just . . . going . . . to go . . . now." I ran to the door. They all jumped from their seats to come after me. I ripped the door open and ran out into the open air, smells bombarded me, but I kept on running.

"Edward! You're the only one fast enough!" Someone yelled. I kept running, following a small lane towards what sounded like a road. I kept running, and hearing someone coming up from behind me I made myself run faster.

"Bella! You can't do this." Someone yelled at me from behind.

"Stay away from me! I'm going home!" I yelled back.

"You don't have a home! Your home is with us! Your one of us, now." I was still running, when something hit me from the side. There was a crash like boulders and I was flung from my path, into a tree. The tree cracked and fell to the side. I screamed, and it seemed louder than ever could be possible.

"Please be quiet!" The person who was on top of me shouted. I opened my eyes to see Emmett's huge arms pressing me to the ground. I used all of my force to shove him off of me, a feat that I thought would be impossible. He flew into the tree across from me; I looked as his face tightened. Two more people grabbed me from behind. I snapped at their hands. I struggled, but even my newfound strength wasn't enough for four vampires. Rosalie ran up.

"Let go of her!" She yelled, her face showing remorse. "All she wants to do is go and see her father."

"She can't Rose. She will get caught or her instincts will take over and she will kill him." Edward said from behind me.

"Then we should go with her, explain to her why she can't attack him, and show her how to control her thirst." She said. "It'll take a while, but she's distraught and all she wants to do is see her father. Think of how you would feel. I know." I calmed down; she was going to get everything straight. She was going to protect me, I knew she would. The hands holding me relaxed.

"We need to teach her all of the basics first, and then she can see Charlie." Edward said from behind me, he walked around and looked into my eyes. "I promise that once we know you can control yourself, we will take you to see Charlie."


	5. STOP THE MADNESS!

**I was planning something totally different when I started to write this, but I was tired and didn't realize what I was writing. I woke up and read it and it wasn't too bad, I think that you'll like this. =D And again, I am soo sorry for being really late on the last chapter, I'm hoping that won't happen again. =/ My co-worker took off and the person that was supposed to fill in for her was sick, so I had to fill in for her too. Ugh, I was about dead by the end of the week. **

Chapter 4 – STOP THE MADNESS!

The Cullen's taught me everything I needed to know, they showed me how to hunt and how to resist thirst. I complied with everything, wanting to see Charlie. Jasper was surprised at how I could resist impulses and to calm myself down without his help. Even so, they were weary of letting me see Charlie. The best part about being a vampire though, was that I did not have to sleep. I could go outside and watch the forest creatures roam around, I could see just as well as I could during the day, but I could still see better anyway, with my heightened vampire senses.

I was sitting on the front step, gazing out upon the small field in front of the house. The door behind me opened, light footsteps walking up to me and then sitting next to me. Edward was wearing a light blue button up with a pair of dark jeans. He laid his arms on his legs.

"Hi." I said, trying to start a conversation. We hadn't talked much since my transformation; he kept to himself most of the time. He didn't come with us to hunt, preferring to hunt by himself. He acted strange, I hadn't a clue why he was talking me now.

"What are you thinking about?" He asked, I could always tell he was frustrated about not being able to read my thoughts.

I bit my lip. "A couple weeks ago I went down to La Push with Mike and them. I talked to one of my old friends, Jacob. He . . . well, we were talking and he told me this story about the Quileute tribe. How they descended from wolves and such, and he started talking about their enemies. Vampires in particular, he mentioned your family, and said that you weren't allowed on their land, because they are fearful that you will break your promise and feed off of humans." I paused, and looked over at him. "I was planning on confronting you, and asking you if it was true."

"You knew, but you still talked to me?" He asked.

I nodded. "I just wasn't sure how to start that sort of conversation, 'Hi, Edward. My old friend Jacob said you were vampire and I just wanted to see if it was true.' Wouldn't that be a conversation for the books." He laughed. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"Why did you hate me? That first day?" I couldn't remember it that well but I could still get the hint of it.

"Your . . . scent. It taunted me, it tortured me. I didn't think that I was going to be able to make it through that class. I imagined killing all of the kids in that room just to get a taste of you, but I resisted."

"So you didn't hate _me_, you just hated --,"

"Myself." He interrupted. "I hated myself for almost ruining what Carlisle had made for us here, and for almost killing you. I almost let the monster in my head win, almost."

"So why did you . . . save me. I mean, how could you control yourself?" I asked, I fiddled with my fingers.

"I couldn't think about that." He clenched his eyes closed, a flash of pain on his face. "You were so helpless; I couldn't do anything but think of helping you. I almost felt . . . human. If that's possible, but it's not."

"You can feel human. There's nothing wrong with that. I mean, I don't exactly remember what being human was like very well, but it wasn't all it's cracked up to be. Wow that sounded really wrong." I chuckled. "I didn't exactly have the best life. My parent divorced when I was little and I had to travel back and forth. It wasn't until I moved here that I realized how much I missed having a father in my life. Two weeks wasn't enough to really get that feeling, we would always catch up on things. When I was living with him, I realized how much he had gotten into the habit of spending most of his time alone, and doing most everything alone. He was consumed with his job, and having someone at home really messed up his habits. Luckily, I was pretty good at cooking and cleaning, so I could take care of myself. But still, he was nervous with spending time with me." I guffawed, remembering the first couple of days. "Which reminds me."

"About what?" He asked, curious. His eyes were molten gold. Mine were still red, but they were getting diluted. Thanks to my vegetarian diet. I laughed. "What?" He asked again.

"Nothing pertaining to the subject, anyway." I took a deep, unnecessary breath. "Why have you been so distant with me since my transformation? What did I do wrong?" I was close to him now. I had leaned in to look into his eyes.

"You didn't do anything wrong. Actually, I thought that I was the one who was doing it wrong. You seemed to keep your distance, and I kept thinking that you were angry with me, for doing this to you."

"Why would I be angry? You saved my life!"

"I did no such thing." He snapped. "I ended your life."

"I was going to die anyway! Edward, you saved me. I thank you for what you did. I thank you and I owe you my entire being." I gently touched my lips to his, a shock of pure pleasure running through me. He tensed up, but then melted underneath of my lips, wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling me into his lap. I ran my hands through his bronze hair. Memories of that night flashed in my head, like an etching in my brain. Unlike my other memories, this one was bright and clear, just as clear as my transformation.

I pulled away, breathing hard. I shook my head. "I can't . . . I can't do this." The images flashed in my head still. I fell to the ground, grasping my head in my hands. "Aaaahhh!"

"Bella, what's wrong?" He asked, grabbing my arm. I stood up and looked around. I had to get away from here. I had to go somewhere where I could be normal, human.

"I have to . . . to go. I'm sorry." I started to run away, not fast, but normal.

Edward caught up with me in a flash and grabbed my arm again. "Bella," He shook his head. "You can't."

"Edward, just let me go. I won't do anything, I promise. I just need to . . . to get away for a while." He stared in my eyes for a couple of minutes. Finally he let go. "Thank you."

"Please don't do anything stupid. I trust you, Bella. I trust you to do the right thing." He called after me.

I ran for what seemed for seemed like miles. The fresh air cleansed my mind. I breathed in a deep breath; the fresh air was marred by a foul smell. It was like a dog of some sort. I took another breath and looked behind me to make sure no one was following me. I continued onto the Quileute reservation, in search of my old friend, Jacob Black.

It didn't take me long to find his little shack of a house. Shit, Charlie's cruiser was parked next to Billy's new truck. I still hadn't seen Charlie since that day, one little look wouldn't do any harm. I carefully walked out of the woods, concealing myself to the shadows. I could see the back of Charlie's head. Billy was sitting next to him, talking about something. I looked around me for a rock or something. I picked up a piece of wood and gently threw it at the window. It hit with a thump. Both Charlie and Billy turned around, but was it really Charlie?

His eyes were bloodshot and red rimmed, his hair was disheveled and long. He had bags under his eyes and his forehead was wrinkled with deep lines. He turned back around, as did Billy.

"Birds," Billy said. "Charlie, they'll find her. We're looking as well, they'll find her. When they _do_ find her, they'll find the people who did this, they will."

"Billy, you've heard the reports. I can't come to doubt what the investigators are saying. Everyone is saying that there is no way she is alive, and if she was when she was taken, she probably isn't now." His voice cracked at the end and he started to cry.

If I could cry, I would. Of course, if I could cry, I wouldn't be here, and neither would Charlie. I leaned against the shed.

A heavy thumping came from inside, an extra flow of venom flooded my mouth. I peered through a crack in the wood to see Jacob sitting on the floor next to a broken down Volkswagen Rabbit. I looked back into the house to make sure that no one was watching and cracked the door open.

"Charlie? Billy?" He called out.

"Jake, don't scream or yell or holler, _please_." I said.

"Who are you?" He asked, he was holding a wrench out in front of him. I stepped into the shed and shut the door quickly. "Bella?" He asked, confused. I nodded. "Aren't you dead?"

"Technically, no." I said, quietly. He beamed, jumped up and hugged me tightly, well, as tightly as he could. His warmth was homey, and I melted in his arms. I gently hugged him back. He released me, still beaming. "Jake, You have to realize something."

"Later. We have to take you in to see Charlie. He's been miserable without you." He grabbed my hand and tried to pull it towards the door. I jerked it out of his hand.

"Jake. Sit down, _please_. Jake, I'm not . . . human, anymore. I can't go in to see Charlie. He can't see me, ever again."

"But you're here." He said, confused.

"I needed to get away, I couldn't think of anywhere else to go. You're practically my brother, Jake. I was hoping you'd understand."

"Bella, I do. I do understand." He grabbed my hand again. "Please don't leave."

I smiled. "Thank you."

We stayed in the little shed for what seemed like hours. We talked about this and that, I helped him to put together his Rabbit, and all was good. One subject we seemed to avoid though was Charlie. We talked about just everything else, including what happened that night.

"I'm sorry." He said after I told him what had happened to me during my last few hours of my human life. Then I was bitten, and transformed into a vampire, but I didn't mention that part to him, in fact, he didn't even know that I was a vampire . . . yet.

"It's okay, I mean, you didn't do anything wrong. It felt good to get that off of my chest. I haven't been able to tell anyone that." I said, I felt like I was blushing, but I knew that my skin was pale ivory, just as always.

"If there's anything I can do, just ask, kay? I'll always be here, Billy isn't letting me go out, you know, after what happened." He fiddled with some tools laying on the ground. "Anything you need, I'm here."

"Thanks Jake." I said, leaning over and hugging him. His heartbeat echoed into my ears, but I controlled myself, practicing to be as good as the Cullen's. Jake smelled funny anyway, not like a human, but like a dog, weird. "You know," I said in his arms. "I don't think I'll ever feel this human again."

"Well, I'm always here. You're welcome to come back."

"Thanks Jake." I nestled my head gently into his chest. I should probably get going, Edward was probably worrying about me, well, anyone around me, I guess. Just then, as I was thinking of Edward, he popped into my head. He was running through the forest, following my scent. He called out my name, over and over. Then he got to where the smell started to get marred by the foul scent of dog and stopped. His eyes got wide and then he called out my name again, more urgent this time. It must be a vampire thing, being able to see other vampires.

"Jake, I ought to go." I stood up wiping off my jeans. "Thanks for understanding."

"No problem, come back soon." He gave me a hug, then released me and watched me as I carefully made my way through the door. I walked around the shed, walking into the forest. It was painful having to walk away from Charlie while he was crying. The news was on; apparently they were going to give up, not having any leads and not finding any clues to where my body was. I wanted to turn around and burst through the doors, going straight to him and giving him a hug, but I couldn't. I ran through the forest, Edward was still waiting at the line in my head, I wondered if he was still there. I ran faster, trying to get there quicker. I saw him waiting, it seemed like he was a mile away, at least. It didn't take me long to reach him. He looked anxious.

"What's wrong with you?" I asked.

"Bella, you've been gone for over five hours" Wow. It didn't seem that long. "Not only that, but you crossed the line, we're not allowed to go on Quileute land. It's against the treaty, I'm surprised that Jacob didn't tell you that when you talked on the beach."

"I'm sorry if I wanted to see my old friend. I saw you running and yelling for me, so I left. I didn't want to keep you waiting."

"Wait . . . what?" He asked, confused.

"I saw you. Isn't that some . . . vampire-sense thing? I don't know, I was thinking about you and you popped into my head."

He smiled. "You were thinking about me." He laughed, as well as I. "No, it's not a vampire sense. I think you're gifted."

"Gifted? Is that a good thing?" I asked, thinking about it. He could read minds, maybe this was like that.

"It can be. What is it again?" He asked, interested now.

"When I think about someone, I can see them. I was thinking about what you were doing, so I guess that I can see people when I think about where they are or what they're doing."

"It looks like we're more alike than we thought." He said. Suddenly his lips were on mine with powerful desire. He put all of his weight into the kiss, and then let go. I wanted more, as much as I could get. I threw myself at him forcing my weight into the kiss. We tumbled to the ground, not breaking the kiss. I ran my fingers through his hair again, he pressed on hand on the small of my back, pulling me up towards him, and his other was in my hair, holding my face to his. I moved my hands down to his neck and unbuttoned the first few buttons. He caught my hand, pulling his head up. "Not here." He said.

"But I want you, and I don't know if I'll feel this way later." I said.

"I don't want to force you to do anything."

"You're not forcing me, Edward. I know what I'm doing, and if you don't remember, I'm the one who kissed _you_ just then." I said, sitting up to look into his golden eyes.

"I'm just saying, are you sure you want to do this? I mean, after all that's happened to you."

"Positive." I gently kissed him, a spark running through from him to me. "Now if not here, where?"

He thought for a second. "I know just the place." He took my hand and I ran with him. We jumped across the river and through the woods we ran for a couple more miles, up to the mountains, where creaking shack stood on a small cliff. Even though it was broken down, it had a type of coziness. It was only about twelve feet by twenty two feet, very small.

He led me into the shack. On the inside there was a desk with a lantern and books, there was also a small mattress of the floor with sheets and a pillow askew across it. There were paintings on the wall and a small fireplace on the far wall. "I come here when I want to get away. I've been spending a lot of time here lately, ever since your transformation."

"That's . . . sweet." I stood on my toes and kissed him. I put all of my weight into it. He wrapped his hands around my waist and picking me up. He kneeled on the mattress setting me down beneath him. Our lips whispered in the silence. I once again moved my hands down to unbutton his shirt. He pulled away, taking it off and throwing it. I ripped my shirt as I pulled it off of my head; I reached around and undid my bra as he slid his pants off. He was fully naked in front of me and all I could do is stare. He was absolutely gorgeous; he was the definition of the word. He bent down and pulled my pants and underwear down in one sweep.

He leaned over me, gluing his lips to mine. I practically attacked him when we flipped over; I let my body fall over his, one hand in his hair and one on his chest. I held myself steady on my knees as I lowered myself onto him. There was a low moan in the back of his throat as he flipped us back over, and thrusting himself into me. This was an entirely different experience. The feeling in my stomach was welcomed, making our lovemaking all the better. His tongue swept against my lips, I parted them willingly.

I grabbed at his arms, and his back, forcing him closer. He pressed his hand on the small of my back, forcing my pelvis toward him. Sensations so amazing and so overwhelming flooded my mind, making it hard to think about anything.

Memories flooded my mind. Memories from my human days, memories of my death, memories of my transformation and memories of Charlie flashed in my brain. My eyesight started to blur, and was black in spots.

I couldn't catch my breath, which didn't affect me at all, it was just weird, not having that flow of air, and I felt like I was choking. I grabbed at the sheets. Everything boiled down and it felt like my mind was exploding. I felt like I was on fire, just like when the venom burned through my veins. Then everything went black.

"Bella?" Edward said, but his voice was far away. "Bella?"

Then it was silent and black. I was dead, I was sure of it.

**=D I **_**love**_** cliffhangers, don't you? I promised you that I would update soon and write more, and truth be told, this is a LOT more than the last chapter. I am going to have a LOT going on this week, so if I don't update, please don't hunt me down and kill me. Family issues are a killer on your free time, and so the only free time I'll have is when I'm sleeping. =/ I hope to get past all of these interruptions and continue on with writing. Once the semester starts up again, I'll be able to write a lot. Thank you so much again for your support and keep giving me new ideas, I am always open to suggestion! **

**Playlist -  
Breath – Breaking Benjamin  
Company of Thieves – Oscar Wilde  
The Crash Motive – Live Like Your Last Day  
The Flaming Lips – Do You Realize??  
Hayley Westenra – Ave Maria  
Hoobastank – The Reason  
Iron & Wine – Carousel**


	6. Complications

**Okay. I am REALLY sorry that this is 2 weeks late. I've been busy with everything and I finally finished it. Phew. I've been dying to get this finished and published, and now I can relax. This was really complicated to write because I would have something in mind and then I would stop writing and forget about it….of course. By the time I was done with this, I was soooo happy that it turned out this way. You just have to remember when you get to the end of the chapter that Bella is a newborn vampire and is also ruled by her emotions. =D Enjoy, and as always, Much love. 3**

Chapter 5 – Complications

I was underwater, and completely naked. I could see for miles in the crystal clear water. Fish swam past me, not even acknowledging that I was there. Jellyfish moved around, trying to find their dinner. One got a hold of my foot, but I didn't feel anything, and it soon left. Underneath of me were coral, and a lot. There was coral of every size and shape. Tiny fish hid in the crevices, away from harm. Crabs scuttled across the bottom, scrounging for food. Why was I here? Was I dead? I looked around, but I could see nothing but water and aquatic life. I was the only human around, and I wasn't even that. I looked down at the coral again. Everything was gone. There was no coral to speak of. Then I looked around. No fish or Jellyfish. Then, there was no bottom. It was like I was in a never-ending pit. A hand on my waist startled me. Edward was there behind me, smiling. I smiled back and then kissed him passionately. The water started to drain, and soon, it was only me and him.  
Everything came back to me. We were still in the small shack, lying intertwined on the mattress. I pulled back from the kiss. "What happened?" I asked him, expecting a half decent answer.

"So you felt it too?" He asked.

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" I asked him back, I was feeling weird all of a sudden. "I didn't feel anything. I meant, what happened to _me_. I blacked out." I told him in a rush.

"What?" He was suddenly now alert. "You blacked out? Are you okay?"

"Of course, it was just startling."

"How so?" He asked, expecting to hear the whole story. And so I told it to him.

"I don't really know what happened to you. I've never heard of anything like that happening to a vampire. I'll have to talk to Carlisle about it." He said after I told him about the ocean and everything disappearing.

"Okay." I said, leaning back into him. "Now where were we?" I whispered in his ear, letting my hand fall down his perfect, rock hard stomach, and down to his navel, where he caught it.

"Not now, I'm a bit perplexed now."

I exhaled in a huff, mad. "Way to ruin a moment Edward, I mean . . . fuck!" I slammed down on the mattress. "This was my first time having sex willingly and I didn't even get to experience it!"

"In time, love."

"What?" He had never called me 'love' before. It was like he was falling for me.

"In time."

"No, you called me . . . love."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"No, I like it." I kissed him, forcing him to give underneath of my newborn strength. He fell to the mattress underneath of me. I could feel him harden underneath of me, making me smile against his lips. He pulled me against him, flipping us over. He slipped inside me, a low moan in my throat.  
Everything was better this time, now that I was aware of everything. He was so precise in his movements, making each sensation that much better. The way he rubbed his hand along my inner thigh made me shiver with pleasure, everything was perfect. He thrust harder and harder as my walls enclosed around him. I could feel his growl vibrate through our bodies. My back arched in pleasure, forcing myself closer to him. He grabbed my thigh and pulled it higher and tighter to his side, making it hard to think about anything else, even though I was perfectly capable of doing it, I just didn't want to think of anything else but Edward. At the height of everything, Edward let out a guttural growl that echoed throughout the shack, then fell down beside me, a bright smile on

"I love you, Edward." I said, and he pushed a strand of hair out of my face.

"You don't know how long I've waited for this."

"For what?" I asked, taking in every moment I had with him.

"You."

We held hands as we ran back, but Edward stopped before we got to the house, his face worried. "What is it, Edward?" I asked, trying to look as far ahead as possible.

"The police are here, questioning my family." He said. He was obviously reading someone's mind, looking through their eyes. He turned to me. "I need you to stay here. I need you to hide somewhere where they won't find you if they look, okay?" He asked, his hands holding both of my shoulders. I nodded. "I love you, and I'll come back for you. If I'm not back, you'll know where to find me." He joked about my 'gift'.

"I love you." He pulled me to him, kissing me urgently. Then he released me, looking into my red eyes and running away. I looked around me, there wasn't really anywhere to hide. The rustling of wind in the trees made me look up. Perfect. I leaped into the trees, climbing almost to the top, surely away from the human eye. I could see the roof of the house, but I wanted a closer view. I jumped from limb to limb, perfectly quiet and balanced. I could see the policeman, and Charlie sitting on one of the pristine white couches. The Cullen's sat and stood around them, Edward near the side, explaining where he was. To my surprise, I could hear perfectly.

"I was taking a walk, I had a bit of a tousle with Emmett and needed a bit of fresh air to clear my mind."

"Convenient." The cop to the left huffed. He was holding a paper pad and pen. His nametag read, Irvin. The one to the right was questioning, he was wearing a heavy jacket over his uniform, covering his nametag. Charlie sat in the middle, looking as normal as ever, but I could see the changes in his face. He looked older, at least ten years older. Wrinkles had taken over his face, his mouth straight and stern. The façade of a small town, friendly cop was no more. He was on a mission, a mission to find his daughter's killer, or at least some information about it. I couldn't even imagine what he was thinking, I'd have to ask Edward, since he seemed to be concentrating on something, but it wasn't noticeable to human eyes, just a little tweak between his eyebrows, a faint like in his perfectly smooth marble skin.

"Did you know Bella?" Charlie was asking the questions now.

"Not really, sir. I was in her Biology class, but other than that, I didn't converse with her much." Edward said just as a perfect liar would. In fact, he knew me very, _very_ well.

"I see, but do you know who she would call her friends?"

"I know that she spent a lot of time with Angela Weber, Jessica Stanley, and Mike Newton. Those were the big three, other than that, anyone who hung out with them three."

He nodded. "What were you doing the night that Bella was killed?"

"I was here, writing a report that we were assigned in English. After that, I was playing my piano. Then Carlisle informed me of the time and I went to bed. I had to travel to Seattle on Sunday, for an occasion. I, of course, not knowing about everything that was going on, went to the occasion. I left early and arrived late, it was Monday before I had heard about it."

"And what was the occasion, Mr. Cullen." Charlie asked, serious, doubting Edwards story.

"Edward, please. And it was an old friend's birthday party. When I attended the school in Alaska, I made a couple close friends. Irina was celebrating her eighteenth birthday."

"And why were you the only one who attended this party."

"I was closer to Irina than anyone else in my family. They were all invited of course, but some were either busy or not interested." He moved his eyes over to Emmett, and then Rosalie. A perfect actor, reading the lines from everyone's head. They had already made up their stories, and going into another room had no effect on our hearing.

"Ah. And what were the other's doing while you were away."

"If they actually did what they said they were doing." Edward added. "Carlisle was working at the hospital, as always. Esme was traveling around, looking at some of the historic houses, she like to renovate them. Alice and Jasper were going to come, but they had last minute changes." He furrowed his perfect eyebrows. "They never mentioned where they went." He looked over at them, and then back to Charlie. "Rosalie and Emmett stayed here, I presume. That's what they were doing when I left. Rosalie was probably fixing her car and Emmett was watching television. Rosalie doesn't like Irina, and Emmett stayed to keep her company." He said perfectly.

"I see. Thank you." Irvin was scribbling on his tablet as Charlie spoke.

"Would you mind if we," Charlie cleared his throat and scooted up to the edge of the couch. I leaned forward, trying to get as close as possible to Charlie, even though I could see him just as good as I could if I was right up in his face. I missed the warmth of his skin when he would rarely give me. "Took a look around the house? Standard Procedure." He said, standing up.

"Yes, you're welcome to look anywhere." Carlisle said. Everyone was now standing. "We will try and stay out of your way."

"Irvin, you look around the house. Charlie and I will look around the grounds." The man in the jacket said. I felt nervous, what if Esme had missed a spot of my blood in Edwards room? Could they lie their way out of that? Then it struck me. My shoes were sitting in Edwards's room, in front of his leather couch. They had my blood all over them, and they were given to me by Charlie. Shit. This wasn't going to be good.

Charlie and the other officer walked out of the front door. "Calvin, I'll take this side." Charlie pointed to my side. "You can take that side."

I looked back to the house, Edward was staring at me. His eyes were wide and his mouth was straight. I mouthed the words, _shoes_. He pulled his eyebrows together. Why couldn't he read my mind! I stuck my bare foot in the air and pointed to my foot. I mouthed the word again. I didn't want to risk saying it aloud. He turned around and ran silently up the stairs. He was at the top of the stairs in a second, holding my bright red, and blood spotted Converse sneakers. I nodded. He ran back and emerged without them; they were probably in a very well hidden place.

I jumped down a level, trying to hide better. I was looking around for Charlie. I stepped towards the end of the branch, making it shift and the leaves rustle. I heard Charlie cock his gun. "Show yourself!" He yelled. I held my breath, trying to stay as still as possible. "I'll shoot! I know you're up there!" He sounded fierce, and there was only truth in his voice. He pulled the trigger, making a loud pang and a bullet whizzed past my face. I squealed, not because I was afraid, but because it was such a surprise. The branch under me shifted again and then snapped. I hit a couple more branches and then fell on the ground on my stomach. I could hear Charlie's panicked heartbeat and erratic breathing. "Show yourself!" He said, careful. He shifted his feet, shuffling closer to me. I sat up, tilting my head towards Charlie. I was still looking at the ground.

He sucked in a shocked breath. I bit my lip, waiting. Then I looked up, into Charlie's brown eyes. Those eyes that used to belong to me, those eyes that seemed to go on forever in the depth of them. He lowered his gun with shaking hands, a single tear rolling down his cheek.

**Hope you enjoyed! I really don't have a playlist put together for this. =D Mostly other people yelling at me to do something other than write. Ugh…..stupid. I hope to get something good done before next Friday. If not, I'll have to move the schedule back to every two weeks. Review! Tell me what you think on the issue of moving back the updates and then tell me what you think of the story! Also, I am willing to take suggestions on what you think Bella and Edward should do next! I always need new fillers for the big ending. =D**


	7. A Little Piece of Perfection

**I wanted to incorporate some things from the movie in this story, but nothing crucial, and so you'll notice little things throughout this chapter that I thought would change things up a bit, if the ending of the last chapter wasn't enough. =D I hope that all of you reading have seen the movie and the extended and deleted scenes. If you haven't, don't worry about it, but if you have, you'll know what I'm talking about. =D Enjoy!**

Chapter 6 – A Little Piece of Perfection

Charlie staggered back a few steps, dropping the gun with a clatter on the hard ground. His lips were trembling, and that one tear was now joined by many. He stopped, heaving as he took in deep breaths. He finally gave out, falling to his knees and burying his hands and sobbing. I crawled towards him, hesitantly. He was mumbling words that were incoherent through the sobs. I reached my hand out and lightly touched his hand. The warmth was a shock to me, like the time that Edwards hand came in contact with mine in Biology class. He flinched away, like he felt it too.

He looked up and into my burgundy eyes. "I'm sorry." I said, my chiming voice making his face tighten. The other two officers were running towards us. I looked back at Charlie, who was looking away at the officers. I ran away, into the shadows. "I love you, dad." I said quietly, but loud enough for him to hear, only him. I ran through the forest, as far away as I could get without going too far. I stopped, and thought of Edward.  
_  
Edward, Edward, Edward._ I thought. I could see him running in the forest, he was coming to get me. He was coming to save me. I could hear his almost silent footsteps running towards me. Edward was faster than any one of the Cullen's. It was barely a second when I was wrapped up in his arms. "I'm sorry, love." I set my head on his chest; he buried his face in my hair.

"The look on his face. I hurt him so badly." I whispered into his chest.

"He thinks that he was hallucinating. He thinks that it was all a dream. He knows your dead; he just doesn't believe that you could be alive. He doesn't want to believe a false hope." He whispered back, I was lost in the folds of his velvet voice.

"Edward."

"Hmmm?" He snuggled closer to me, his face still buried in my hair.

"I'm sorry." I had ruined everything, and absolutely _everything._ I was a failure at being a vampire, just like I was a failure at being a human. What _could_ I do right?

"You've nothing to be sorry for." He said in a voice that announced the end of that conversation. I nodded. "Now, I've got to get back to the house before they notice my absence. I'll meet you at the shack." He kissed me passionately, his tongue running against my bottom lip. His sweet breath washing against my mouth, then he was gone.

I ran back to the shack, making myself at home on the mattress. It wasn't long until I got bored, Edward still hadn't come back. I got up and started to look; I was a little occupied with other things the last time I was here. There were books strewn across the antiquated and extremely weathered desk. The leather surface was started it peel and the color was washed away. I peeked in the drawers, looking for something interesting, but to no avail. There were just layers of dust covering the bottom, some had books, but I didn't want to disturb them, they might fall apart. I grabbed one of the books, the newest looking one with a smooth leather surface. There was an indentation at the top, a design. It was a small oval with a hand, a lion and a trefoil. It looked familiar, but I couldn't pin-point it. I carried the book over to the mattress and sat down, untying the small leather cord that held it closed. It was a journal, written in Edward's elegant script. The first few entries were about moving back to Forks, and then about all of the kids in school, and their thoughts about him. Then it got interesting.  
_  
I almost let go today. I almost ruined everything. I almost let the monster in me win. The way she _smelled_. It was like I was high. I wasn't in control of myself. All I could think about was ways to kill her. Ways to kill every human in the room, and then her, just her. Her blood, the way it raises to her cheeks so quickly and easily at any sign of embarrassment, it taunts me. Why was she here? She needs to leave, before I kill her, before I let the monster win. No, I can't. I can't. Maybe it's time that I visit Irina and Tanya in Denali. It's been too long. I need to get away from her; I need to let her live, live the life she is supposed to. I just can't do it anymore, I'm not Carlisle. It makes me feel even worse knowing that he'd forgive me for doing what I was pondering. He would _forgive me_, for killing innocent humans just for one girl? I can imagine his face, it hurts me already, and I haven't done anything. I just…don't know what to do, for once.  
_  
I read it twice, not believing my eyes. I pictured that first day, and seeing how true it was, how perfectly the pieces fit together. I kept reading, and then realized how much Edward hated himself, how alone he was, and how much he loved me, even though he never showed it. He was determined to keep me alive; he was determined to keep the monster inside of him tame and under control. I realized at that moment that I loved Edward with all of me, and he the same.

I set it back on the desk and then laid back down on the mattress. I stared at the ceiling, thinking about Edward and I, remembering all of the sensations and love that was shared between us on this very spot. A shiver of pleasure ran down my spine.

"Oh, Edward." I sighed. "I never even guessed. Why was I so ignorant of your feelings? They were obvious all along." I talked to myself. "Was I really that unobservant?"

"You were actually very observant." Edward murmured from by the door. I sat up in a movement that wasn't there.

"I'm sorry. I was curious." I said, biting my lip and looking down. He walked over to me, picking up my chin so that I was looking into his eyes. He knelt down to me, now eye level. He grasped my head in his hands, leaning his forehead on my own.

"It's not fair." He whispered.

"What's not fair?" I replied.

"That you can get into my mind, and yet I still can't get into yours." He shook his head the littlest bit.

"I'm sorry that I'm weird."

He laughed. "Yea. _You're _the weird one."

We both laughed together. "I love you." I whispered against his lips.

"As do I." He touched my lips with his for just a second, then pulled away.

"Is there something wrong?" I asked, he seemed to be thinking about something very deeply.

"Bella," He took a deep breath. "What do you think of me?"

I laughed. "Edward, I think you're perfect. Your smart and talented, not to mention heartbreakingly handsome, and you know just the right thing to say, but…I think that you don't think enough of yourself. You don't realize how very special you are, you just think of yourself as a monster, and you don't even acknowledge all of your perfect qualities. And…I think, that…I was always meant to be with you. Even if the way all of this happened was…to be blunt, shitty." He smiled.

"I love you, Isabella Swan." He said in a tone that didn't even make me care that he used my whole name.

"I love you too, Edward Cullen." Trying to imitate his tone, but not succeeding.

He stood up, outstretching his hand. I took it and stood up, looking into his golden eyes, that molten color that almost made your heart want to melt with pleasure.

We ran back to the house, where he left me in the living room with a beaming Alice. That was never good, she always knew everything, and had many a trick up her tiny sleeves. I glared. "What?" She just shook head and hummed a cheerful tune, rubbing her fingers against the cushion fabric.  
_  
Edward._ I saw him in his room, holding a small black box in his palms, staring at it. He opened it gently, revealing a small ring nestled into the black satin that sparkled in the dim light. The face was a long oval, set with slanting rows of glittering round stones. The band was gold – delicate and narrow. The gold made a fragile looking web around the diamonds. It was absolutely gorgeous.

A pillow hit me in the face. "Bella? Are you alive over there?" Alice was asking, looking at me weird.

I snapped out of it at once, smiling. "Technically, no, I was just thinking."

"Oh. You looked surprised about something." She said, still looking at me with a face that told me she knew something was up with me.

"I was just thinking about Charlie." I lied, making my expression fall. "The way he looked at me…I just…" Whatever Alice was thinking about me was gone. She believed the one lie that I was able to pass. I had _never_ been able to lie, not that I wanted to, but it was nice sometimes.

"I'm sorry. It just, it seemed like you were gone there for a second."

"Sorry." Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god. Edward, I love you, Edward.

He stuffed the little box into his bag and threw some clothes over it. He called for Alice, who bolted up the stairs and by his side, she was still beaming.

"I need you to pack a bag for Bella. Anything will do." He zipped up his bag and walked quietly to Carlisle and Esme's room. He knocked quietly and then walked in. I'm guessing that he was trying to be as quiet as possible to keep me from knowing everything, which I did anyway.

"Carlisle, Esme, could I ask you something?"

"Of course, Edward." Esme said.

"Quietly." He whispered. "I want to marry Bella." Esme smiled delightfully. She was always sad that Edward was the only one who was alone.

"Are you certain?" Carlisle asked, smiling just as Esme was.

"I am. I love her, more than I ever thought that I could love someone. And I believe that she believes the same about me." He smiled, a heartfelt smile that showed how much he enjoyed the idea.  
Carlisle stood up from sitting in front of their desk, which was covered with blueprints. He walked over and rested his hand on Edwards shoulder, smiling.

"I'm so happy for you, son. I see how much she has changed you, in the little time that she has been with us." Edward nodded. Esme took him up in a loving embrace.

"Edward, it's been too long. I've watched you suffer in your loneliness, and nothing could make me happier than to see you and Bella together." She pulled back. "I know the perfect place as well. You can use Isle Esme, it's the perfect spot. I know that she needs to get away from all of this, and you need it too." She put a hand over her smiling mouth. "I'm just so happy for you."

"Thank you, Esme, Carlisle. I just wanted to let you know about it. I'm sure that Alice will have everything ready.

"Good luck, my son." Carlisle said. Edward walked out of the room and then back into his room grabbing his bag and the giant suitcase that Alice had packed for me.

"I'll call you about everything. it will be absolutely perfect, Edward." She squealed.

"I'm sure it will. Thank you Alice." He said as he walked out of the room.

I looked around the room, twiddling with my fingers, acting as if I knew nothing. Hopefully I could lie my way out of everything. I felt weird, almost giddy, that Edward was going to propose. I guess my feelings on marriage have changed with my transformation. Maybe it's because I wouldn't have to tell Renee or Charlie. It would just be between us Cullen's. I sighed.

"Are we ready?" Edward asked, just as if nothing was different.

"I'm always ready." I said. I hugged everyone goodbye, telling them that we'd be back from wherever we go. Esme and Alice were both beaming. I hugged Rose tight; she would keep Alice on a leash. Rose and I had a lot in common, actually. She was nice once you got to know her, and she taught me things that others couldn't, like fixing cars.

We made our way into the garage, where we placed our bags in his Volvo and rode down the long driveway. This was actually the first time I would see the world with my new eyes, and my new perspective on life. Edward squeezed my hand.

"Everything is going to be alright, love. I promise." He said, looking at me instead of the road, but not swerving the tiniest bit from his lane. He was taking my facial expression for nervousness on the trip, not over him proposing to me.

His phone vibrated in his pocket once. That's funny. No-one ever bothered to text Edward, but since I could hear everything they said, I guess it was smarter. Edward let go of my hand and pulled the phone out of his pocket. He was holding it away from me, so that I couldn't see what it read. Apparently it wasn't too important; because he flipped it closed and threw it in the back.

"I hope you don't mind flying." He said. Alice must have arranged all of the flight plans to go to Isle Esme, wherever that was.

"I'm used to it, after flying back from Forks to Phoenix my entire childhood." I said. "Why?"

"Because we are going to be flying wherever Alice has made plans for us. I figured you wanted to go somewhere…away from everything."

"Thanks." I felt bad now, that I had ruined the surprise. He was trying so hard to keep me in the dark, so that everything would be a big surprise. I hoped that I would mess everything up and ruin his plans. I'm sure that he'd still love me, no matter what, though.

"You're very quiet tonight. Is there something bothering you?" He asked, a bit alarmed at the fact that something might actually be bothering me.

"No. I was just thinking. All of this has happened so fast, and we don't really know anything about each other. Just that you saved my life, we're both vampires, and we both love each other, unconditionally."

"I think that some things about me might repulse you."

"I don't think _anything_ that you could tell me about yourself could repulse me so much that I couldn't love you anymore."

He sighed. "What do you want to know?"

So the entire ride to the airport, he talked about himself. Then he asked me questions, and I answered them as best I could. Everything was perfect, and the emotions that we both were expelling into the atmosphere almost made me high. We were both pieces of a giant puzzle, which happened to fit together amazingly well. Everything was perfect….for now.


	8. What ifI said that I love you?

**To be truthful…I forgot all about fanfiction. =/ It's not that it isn't important to me, it's just a big conglomerate of things that have made my life living hell….but classes start this week, and then I'll have some free time. I am really sorry, truly, truly sorry to keep you all waiting like this. I'm a horrible person. ='( It's really short, and I apologize for that, but I wanted to get something out to you guys. Anyway, here it is, ENJOY! =D Again, SORRY!!!!!!!!!**

Chapter 7 – What if..I said that I love You?

We caught a cab in Texas, where we took it to a lavish hotel, Alice, no doubt. After spending the day there and talking some more, we caught a flight to Brazil, where we took another cab to a dock. We walked along the dock, passing by huge yachts and luxury boats, finally coming to a small and sleek one, built for performance and speed. He loaded the bags into the boat and then we were off.  
A good thirty minutes later a small black shape came into our view. He pointed to it and then smiled. I couldn't tell what it was, it a blacker shape against the black sheet of the night sky that covered from horizon to horizon. A couple minutes later we were pulling up to a small private dock. He stepped out of the boat and offered me his hand. I took it and he pulled me out of the boat and into a tight embrace. I met his lips to mine, sending off sparks through my body. I wanted him, all of him, and I wanted him forever. I had him, all of him, for all of forever. He pulled away from me all too soon, a crooked smile on his face that warmed my dead heart. He set me back on my feet, and picked up the luggage in his hand. He intertwined my hand in his, and smiled.  
"Keep up, if you can." He said, breaking into a run. I kept our hands together, keeping up with him perfectly. We traveled on a small pathway that winded through the jungle. Edward began to slow, his hand clenching tighter to mine. A house emerged out of the jungle. There was a single porch light on, but that was enough to light up the entire scene for my sight. I could see Edward smile in my peripheral vision.  
"What is this place?" I asked, being quiet, as if to not disturb the perfect scene, but of course, I already knew the answer.  
"Welcome to Isle Esme." He turned to face me, the smile still on his face, but I could tell in his eyes that he was nervous about something, but it was almost hidden under his usually perfect façade. He led me into the house, pointing the rooms as he led me through the house. It felt very familiar; it was similar to the house in Forks. We ended up in a large bedroom with a huge fluffy white bed and netting floating around it. There were French doors leading out onto a pristine beach.  
"I love you, Edward." I placed my hands on his chest, as if to push if away, but resting them gently. I leaned in and placed my head in the middle of my hands, taking a deep breath, breathing in him. He's all I wanted. All I'll ever want.  
"Bella, can I ask you something?" He asked hesitantly.  
"Of course, ask me anything." I looked up into his eyes and wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling me closer to him.  
"Will you forget about everything that has ever happened to you before now? Forget about how I was such an ass to you that first day, forget that I was too late, forget that…forget that I had to hurt you to save you, and forget about Charlie."  
I closed my eyes and let out a tearless sob. Charlie, who was so sick with grief, my father, was probably going insane.  
"Bella, Bella, love. I'm sorry. Please, just forget. Forget about everything. This is the beginning of your life now, this is the beginning of us."  
"Edward, I will." I leaned up to kiss him. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me tight against him. He moved his mouth down my jaw, his teeth grazing my earlobe. I clutched at his hair. "It's only you and I, forever. That's what I want, Edward. I want it to only be you and I. I don't want distractions…all I want is you."  
"I want you too." He picked me up in his arms and carried me over to the gigantic white bed. His hand traveled down my chest, ripping the clothes as he did. I pulled open his shirt and threw it down. His skin was so soft beneath my fingers; I couldn't stop them as they traveled down to his pants. He pulled away from me, ripping his pants off. I pulled him on me, his mouth mashed against mine, but he pulled away and stared me in the eye.  
"Bella," He said softly.  
"Don't, don't say anything. It's just you and me tonight. Esme has provided us with this perfect getaway and we are going to enjoy every moment of it. Plus," I stopped. I already knew too much. I almost said, "Plus, everyone is going to be here in two days so let's just enjoy this time together." I'm glad that I didn't.  
"Plus, what?" He asked going down to suck on my nipple. I almost didn't answer, it felt so good.  
"Plus, we might not get chances like this later on." I said quickly. I pulled him back up to my face, cupping is face in my hands and I pulled his face closer. This was what life was about…well, My new life. His hand traveled down my waist and down my thigh, where he traced patterns on my inner thigh, sending sparks through my body. It was like an itch you could only scratch one way. I wrapped my thighs around his waist; I could feel him smile against my lips. He thrust himself into me, making me moan against his lips.  
It's funny, because every time I had sex with Edward, it wasn't having sex. It _was_ making love, because there could never be anything stronger than Edward and I. We were one, and we loved each other unconditionally. He wouldn't use me up and then toss me aside; he would stay with me forever.

We laid together in the bed, staring into each other's eyes. He traced patterns along my bare skin, leaving tingles where he had last touched the skin. I decided to force the question out of him, playing a game that my mom and I used to play whenever I was worried about something.  
"What if…" I began. He traced more circles on my waist.  
"What if what?" He asked, curiosity in his eyes..  
"What if…we were human? What if vampires never existed? What if it didn't matter that we lived almost a centuryapart?"  
"What if…I told you that I loved you? And you felt the same way? What if we spent eternity together…as one?"  
"What if…I believed you? What if I loved you the same way that you love me? What if we spent eternity as one, and loved every minute of it? What if we never had to leave each other's side?"  
He stopped tracing and closed his eyes. "What if you married me? What if we got married here, and we traveled the world as a happy couple?" He opened his eyes and sat up, looking me in the eye. "Would you?"  
"Edward Anthony Mason Cullen, all I want is you, and I want you forever, and I want you to myself, and I want to be one with you."  
"Isabella Marie Swan, will you marry me and spend forever as my wife?"  
I sat up so that our lips were almost touching. "Yes. Always and forever, I'm yours."  
He pulled me so tight against his body that I thought he was actually going to break one of my bones, if it were possible. He kissed me so passionately that it should be illegal. I breathed in his scent and was intoxicated with it. He disappeared from beside me, only to return a second later. I opened my eyes to see him holding the tiny black box that held his mothers ring. I handed him my left hand, and he opened the box and slipped the ring on the fourth finger. It looked so perfect there, like it was made just for me. Good thing too, since it would stay there forever.  
"Bella, you don't know how happy you've just made me. You're the one that I've been waiting almost a hundred years for; you're my one and only love." He kissed me gently now, a kiss so sincere, I would have cried if I could, he was the happiest man on earth…and he was mine.

**What if…you guys left a review!!! Please review!! I haven't gotten many reviews and I want to know what you guys think!!! Thanks for reading! Also, please read and review my new story when I post it, It is going to be called**


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